


Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

by therumandcokediaries



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Family, Illness, Injury, IronDad and SpiderSon, Irondad, Mental Health Issues, PTSD, Recovery, endgame spoilers, family stuff, hospital stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-28
Packaged: 2020-02-27 17:25:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18743644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therumandcokediaries/pseuds/therumandcokediaries
Summary: Alternate ending to Endgame, aka The Film That Should Not Be Named. This was done mostly to the headcanons @snarkofstark on tumblr sent me about what happens (should have happened) at the end of Endgame. Their headcanons, but I have put my own twists on it, as per the disclaimed in the first chapter notes.Dedicated to snarkofstark from tumblr, who, incidentally, is the reason I got into Marvel in the first placeTony lands in a coma after using the gauntlet. He wakes up a month later, and has to deal with the aftermath.





	1. I Should Have Stayed On The Farm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Snarkofstark](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snarkofstark/gifts).



> [[People reading this who follow my Frostiron and Spiderson verse, please note that I am working on another fic for that verse - I'm just doing this for a friend first/alongside it. This isn't going to be long fic]] (The below is just copy/pasted from what I put on the tumblr post when publishing this)
> 
> I have never written Pepperony before. Ever. I’ve hardly ever even written Pepper. As some people may know, my main fanficition verse is Frostiron and Spiderson, so there’s clear reasoning there. So, please excuse Pepper’s characterisation errors, and see this also as reason for Peter’s heavy involvement/presence. (Because, at the end of the day, when given free reign, I’ve gotta do my own thing). Also this was a bit of a rush job, and it’s probably not what you were looking for, so apologies on that front too. HMU
> 
> Oh, and lastly - Akki - this DOES mean you have to listen to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John. More than once (it gets better the more you listen to it) (and this is far from being the weirdest song I’ve ever sent you)

- 

The bright white light of the hospital room was almost ethereal. Everything seemed fuzzy at the edges. 

“Tony?" 

Tony became aware of the weight of someone sat beside him, and opened his eyes properly. He managed to focus, just for a moment, before tears blurred his vision. 

”… Pepper..?“ 

"Oh Tony” Pepper’s voice cracked as she spoke. “Hey. Hey darling, I’m here. I’m here" 

”… What happened?“ 

"You saved the world” Pepper said, kissing him on the forehead. “You’re ok, you’re here, I’m here. You’re going to be fine, I promise”

“Are you hurt?" 

"I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Let’s focus on you. You always did like being the centre of attention” 

Tony peered up at her. “…Thanos?”

Pepper shook her head. “Everything’s ok. We won.  _You_ won”

Tony looked at her, searching her face for any trace of a lie. Despite his reservations, he believed her. He looked round the room, at the monitors next to the bed and the power strip on the wall above it. He knew this was a hospital.

“Where’s everyone else? Who else was hurt? Oh god, was-”

“Tony” Pepper put her hands firmly on his shoulders. “Tony, everyone’s fine. That fight? It was a month ago”

“What? How could it have been a month ago?” he struggled to sit up, and then cried out at a shooting pain in his right hand. 

“Tony! Tony, listen to me. You’ve been in a coma. You collapsed after you used the gauntlet”

Tony blinked at her. “A coma…”

Tony looked at his hand. It didn’t look too bad, truth by told. Shiny, deep red in places, obviously on the healing end of serious burns. Scarred. He could see that, the closer he looked. The scars round his wrist were deeper, more obvious, branching further up his arm. He couldn’t stop looking. He touched the scars gently with his good hand, grimacing at the feeling of the crevices and the unnatural smoothness. He ran his fingers up his arms, trying to work out where the scarring stopped. He reached his shoulder, and could still feel the scars. 

“…I need a mirror”

“Tony-”

“Pepper, I need to see”

He touched his face, his fears confirmed as he felt the scarring on his jawbone, extending under his ear and down his neck. He looked at Pepper.

“Pepper. Please. I’ll have to see some time”

“I just don’t think this is a good idea” 

Even so, she took a small compact mirror out of her bag, and hesitantly handed it to him. Tony took a deep breath, and held it up. His breath caught in his throat as he looked at himself. It wasn’t just the painfully obvious scars at his jawline, or the thin scar across the apple of his cheek that was a shock: he looked dreadful; pale and sickly and thin. Oh, but those scars. Sure, they could have been worse. Sure, they could get better over time…

His reflection grew shaky and blurry, and no sooner had the first sound escaped his lips than Pepper’s arms were round him, holding him almost painfully tight. 

“It’s ok. You’re ok” she said, trying hard to be reassuring despite her own tears.

Tony didn’t believe her this time. He just clung to her and cried. He felt so wretched, so mixed up and so sick, and so ashamed.

- 

“May! May, I need your car!”

“Peter, you can’t drive” May said, and then saw the look on his face. “What is it?"  

"H-he’s awake..! He’s awake!” Peter said shakily, phone in hand. “Ms Potts - uh, Mrs Stark, she just called" 

May hugged him tight. "Oh Peter, that’s fantastic! But are you sure you shouldn’t give them some space?”

Peter shook his head. “She said I could come down. May, please. I need to see him" 

May held him at arms length, looking into his tired, pleading eyes. She smiled slightly, and nodded.

"Ok" 

-

Peter felt sick as they approached the hospital. Truly, dreadfully sick. 

“H-hey, maybe this isn’t such a good idea” he said. “Maybe we should-”

May took hold of his hand, holding it tight. “We’re here now. It’ll do both of you some good to see each other. It’s been a tough month”

Peter looked down at their clasped hands, took a deep breath, and carried on walking.

-

Peter didn’t seem to notice the monitors. He didn’t seem to notice the tubes and wires and charts. All he saw was the person propped up in bed, who seemed to have sat up just a little bit straighter when the door opened.

“…Peter?”

“Mr Stark?” 

All of a sudden, all his words caught in his throat. He’d been rehearsing what to say for weeks, and now he was here, he forgot everything. May gave his hand an encouraging squeeze before letting go. Peter looked at her, and back at Tony.

“You’re awake.. You’re awake! How are you? I’m sorry I haven’t got anything for you. I thought I should, but I didn’t know what” he found himself looking frantically between all three adults. “You’re supposed to, aren’t you, if you visit people in hospital? Maybe I sh-”

“Peter” Tony interrupted. “Come here”

Peter looked at May first, who nodded. He went over obediently, although his legs felt like jelly and he was surprised he didn’t trip.

“Mr Stark, I-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Tony had reached his good hand out and pulled the boy close, hugging him tight. Peter wasted no time in hugging him back, burying his face in Tony’s right shoulder. He was trembling all over. With some effort, Tony just about managed to wrap his right arm round the boy too.

“Hey, are you crying?”

“Maybe a bit” Peter admitted, taking a deep juddery breath inwards. “I’ve been so scared”

“Stop it: you’ll set me off” Tony said. He closed his eyes, just for a moment. “You can’t get rid of me that easily”

Peter laughed tearfully. He wasn’t sure what he was feeling. He moved back slowly when Tony released him, staying on the edge of the bed. Tony looked at Pepper, who hadn’t moved from his side. He reached out and held her hand in his injured one.

“Thank you”

“I knew you’d want to see him” she looked at Peter. “Thank you for coming”

“Wild horses wouldn’t’ve kept him away” May said, approaching the bed.

Tony looked up at her. “Good to see you again, May”

“It’s good to see you, too” May said. “You gave us all a scare”

“Yeah… Thank you”

“What for?”

He nodded at Peter. “For bringing him”

He noticed Peter hadn’t taken his eyes off him, and he suddenly grew self conscious, remembering the scars on his face.

“What are you staring at?”

“I’m just so glad you’re ok” he swallowed hard. “I-… I love you, Mr Stark”

Tony felt Pepper squeezing his hand. He glanced at her, and then rested his good hand on Peter’s cheek, stroking his cheek bone gently with his thumb.

“I love you too”

Peter leant into his touch, putting his hand over Tony’s, not daring to speak again. 

“Peter?”

Peter looked at Pepper. “I’m sorry”

“Hey, it’s ok” she said. “I’ve barely stopped crying all morning”

Tony suddenly startled. 

“Mr Stark?!”

Tony looked at Pepper. “Morgan”

“She’s with Happy. They’re on their way”

As if on cue, the door opened. Peter stood up, moving out of the way. 

“Daddy!!” 

The little girl ran across the room, jumping onto the bed and straight into her father’s arms. Tony held her as tight as he could without hurting her, making sure her head rested on his left shoulder. He squeezed his eyes shut, but the tears still leaked out under his lids. 

“Have you been good for mummy?”

“Uh-huh” Morgan said. “And for Happy”

“Has he been taking good care of you?”

“Yep. He bought me cheeseburgers”

Tony laughed slightly. “Good”

Happy rested a hand on Peter’s shoulder, making him jump.

“Hey, it’s just me” he said. “It’s… Well, it’s good to see you here”

Peter nodded tearfully. “It’s good to see you, too”

May put an arm round Peter’s shoulders. “Come on”

Peter looked over at Tony hesitantly. 

“He needs to be with his family” May said. “We’ll visit again soon”

Happy gave Peter’s shoulder a squeeze, and offered him a slight smile. 

“See you in a few days, kid”

-

Eventually Morgan tired, and Happy took her off. It was late. Tony lay in his hospital bed, Pepper close at his side. They were quiet for a while, deep in thought, just grateful to be there together. 

“What are you going to do now?” Pepper asked eventually, her voice sounding strange after the long silence.

“Focus on getting discharged” Tony said. “I’ll think about the rest later”

He rested his head against hers, breathing in her sweet scent. He hadn’t known anything while he was unconscious, but he’d still managed to miss people, and things. Muscle memory, he guessed. It didn’t matter. He’d undone Thanos’s attack. He was alive. Bruises, scarred, different, but alive. His family and friends were alive. That was all that mattered. From now on, that was all he should focus on. Everything was going to be ok.

*


	2. What Do You Think You’ll Do Then?

-

Tony sat cross-legged on the bed, propped against the pillows, with Peter cross-legged opposite him.

“So, you’re being discharged” Peter said.

“Day after tomorrow” Tony said. “I’m going mad in here”

“It’ll be good for you to get home, don’t you think?” Peter said, shuffling his cards. “Don’t they say fresh air is good for you?”

“Yeah, supposedly. You’ll have to come over to ours some time”

“I’d like that” he glanced down, looked back at his cards, and quickly slapped one down. “SNAP!”

Tony sighed. “Damn it! How are you so good at this?!”

Peter shrugged. “Spidey reflexes?”

“Hmm” Tony looked at his few remaining cards, and over at Peter’s stack. “I think it’s obvious who’s won this game”

“Yeah, maybe” Peter smiled. “Sn-”

“SNAP!”

“Hey, no fair!” Peter protested, trying to take the matching pair from him. “I said it first!”

“No, you only got half a word out.  _I_ said it first”

“I  _started_ saying it first!”

“You’re just being a sore loser” Tony said, ruffling the boys hair, and wincing.

“Mr Stark?”

“It’s fine” he said, rubbing his palm. “Just used the wrong hand”

Peter frowned. “I thought you said it didn’t hurt anymore”

“It doesn’t. Usually. Just if I move it too quickly. It’s not… Well, it’s not the same as it was, you know that”

“Will it still play up when you’ve got the suit on?”

Tony paused. He put his cards down, and took Peter’s hands in his own. 

“Kid, listen to me” he said gently. “I’m done”

Peter looked at him. “What do you mean, ‘you’re done’?”

“I mean… Iron Ma-”

“But you  _are_ Iron Man!”

“Peter, don’t interrupt me” Tony sighed. “Look, it’s been a long time. I’ve got a wife and a kid now. I’m injured. This arm isn’t going to fully recover. And… I’ve seen enough. I need to step back and live a more normal life. I’m pushing 50 now”

“But-but, but people need you!”

“Yeah, my family and friends”

“But the Avengers-”

“I’m not the only superhero out there. They’ll manage without me. Pepper might step up, too. She was impressive in that battle, don’t you think?”

“But…”

“Hey, don’t look so sad. It’ll be fine” he put a hand under Peter’s chin, making him look at him. “After all, they’ve still got you”

Peter swallowed hard. “But… I’ll miss you too much”

“Oh kid. Come here”

Peter shifted closer and let Tony hug him.

“Now you listen to me” he said. “The end of Iron Man doesn’t mean the end of this, the end of us. You mean a lot to me, you know that”

“You mean a lot to me, too”

“Besides, I’m not gonna let you escape that easily”

Peter laughed despite himself. He sat back on his heels. “You promise?”

“I promise. Now pick your cards back up: there’s still a chance I can beat you”

-

Tony looked at Pepper. He looked at the wheelchair, and back at Pepper.

“Are you serious?”

“Tony-”

“No, it was my arm that got hurt, not my legs. I’m perfectly capable of walking” Tony said. “God, I’m getting discharged; I don’t want to be treated like I’m still a patient”

“Fine, suit yourself. At least hold onto my arm, then”

Tony sighed, but gladly linked arms with her. “I’m driving”

“Not in a million years”

-

Tony looked around him. He looked at the bare wooden floorboards. He looked at the roaring fire. He looked at the statues and pictures on the mantelpiece. He looked at the crayons and Polly Pockets littered about the floor by the telly. He looked at his wife, cuddled up under his good arm, fast asleep. He looked at his little girl, curled up asleep on his lap, clasping his poor scarred hand in her tiny perfect ones. This was it. This is what he’d fought for. He’d brought everyone back, and he’d kept what he’d found. And by god he was glad he’d done it.

-

Tony wanted to settle into normality. He wanted to live like anyone else. He wanted to get on with a simple life. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t let go of his tech, but more than that, he couldn’t stand his injuries. He hated the scarring, especially on his jaw. But more than that, he hated his arm. He hated not being able to lift things properly. He hated having to concentrate when he picked things up. He hated not being able to move the way he used to. He tried valiantly for a fortnight, but he just couldn’t do it. It might get better, given time, but he didn’t want to have to wait. He needed a way to help it now. Or, if not now, then as soon as possible. He tried to think of a solution, and he remembered what Peter had said at the hospital, asking if it would still play up in the Iron Man suit. He was sure it would, but the thought alone gave him an idea. Something he could do. He might have lost part of his dexterity, but he hadn’t lost his mind. He could make something. That’s what he always did.

-

Pepper leant against the door frame.

“Tony, what are you doing?”

“Working” Tony mumbled, busy scrawling blueprints and concepts.

Pepper came over, peering over his shoulder. She sighed at the gauntlet outline on the page.

“I thought you said you weren’t going to be Iron Man any more”

“I know. This isn’t for Iron Man: it’s for me”

He continued sketching. Pepper rested her hands on his shoulders.

“Tony, you need to sleep. It’s three in the morning”

“I’m busy”

“Tony”

“What?” Tony stopped, turning round to face her. “What?”

Pepper didn’t say anything, but to Tony, that was enough.

“You think I’m wasting my time, don’t you?”

“I didn’t say that”

“You didn’t have to”

“I  _wouldn’t_ say that. But Tony, you can’t stay up all night doing this”

“Why not? I used to do it before” he said.

Pepper sighed. “Come to bed?”

Tony spun back round to the desk. “Later. I’m working”

-

Tony’s mind wouldn’t stay quiet. Every waking moment was filled with thoughts, ramblings, concepts, memories. But he couldn’t make anything work. Even the simplest things turned into an enormous challenge. Every mug of coffee he made was either far too weak or far too strong. Every bath he had was either so hot it hurt, or just barely lukewarm. Every game he played with Morgan was either too dull to hold the girls attention, or so dark that Pepper would snatch the toys from him and tell him to remember how old their daughter was. Nothing was going right.

-

Tony sat on the porch one evening, looking out over the horizon, kicking his foot to put the swinging bench into motion, when Morgan jumped up beside him.

“Hey, princess”

“Mummy wants to know if you’re hungry”

Tony was quiet for a moment. “Tell her I’ll eat later”

“Ok”

Before she could jump up and run off again, Tony grabbed her hand.

“Morgan?”

“Daddy?”

“Can I have a hug?”

Morgan looked at him, and grinned. “Yep!”

She bounced onto his lap and hugged him. Tony held her tight, running his fingers gently through her hair.

“Sorry I’ve been so rubbish lately, kiddo”

“It’s ok. Mummy says you’re just not very well. I asked if we should give you Calpol, but she said it wouldn’t work”

Tony wanted to laugh, but his eyes filled with tears instead. They stayed together quietly for a minute or two, before Pepper’s voice sounded. Tony sighed, swallowed hard, and let go of Morgan.

“She’s calling you” he said.

“I think it’s teatime” she said, crawling off his lap. “Are you coming?”

Tony looked at her little earnest face. Part of him wanted to exclaim; ‘yes, of course!’, take her hand, go inside, and have a nice meal, making stupid jokes and making her laugh. But he knew that even if he did go in, it wouldn’t be like that. So instead, he shook his head.

“Tell her I’ll eat later”

-

Pepper sat down next to Tony on the swinging bench after she’d put Morgan to bed.

“Are you staying out here all night?”

Tony shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet”

“You need to eat”

“Later”

“That’s what you said to Morgan. It  _is_  later. You need to eat, and you need to sleep, and you need to talk to someone”

Tony looked at her. “I’ve done the whole talking to people thing. It doesn’t work”

“Not when you go into it with that attitude”

“Talking isn’t going to take away the last half a decade. It won’t change the past. Talking isn’t going to fix my arm”

“Refusing to look after yourself isn’t going to fix it either” she rested her head on his shoulder. “You can talk to me”

“You were there: you saw what happened” Tony said. “I can’t tell you any more than you already know”

-

Somehow, Pepper managed to get Tony to go to bed at a decent time that night. Once he was asleep, she went to the kitchen, and made a phone call.

-

A couple of days later, after Tony had finally dragged himself from his bed, Pepper grabbed him in the corridor.

“I need you”

“Can it wait?”

“No. Come with me”

She took his hand and dragged him into the living room.

“Hey, Mr Stark! Long time no see! Look what I’ve got!” Peter grinned, holding up a little box. “I found these super hero snap cards, and I couldn’t resist! Fancy a game?”

At first, Tony just stared at him. But then he walked over, grabbed the boy by the shoulders, looked at him for a moment, and pulled him close against his chest, hugging him like he would never let go.

*


	3. This Boy’s Too Young To Be Singing The Blues

-

Morgan had gotten to know Peter pretty well while her father had been in hospital, and she was happy to see him too.

“You can come and see my den now!” she said, grabbing his hand. 

“Oh, um-”

“I’m gonna get my shoes. Make sure you’re ready!”

Peter just blinked as the little girl rushed off. He looked at Tony.

“Um”

“It’s ok” Tony said. 

“Are you sure? Morgan’s great, but-”

“Peter. It’s ok. Go and play with her. We’ve got time” He gave the boy another quick hug. “We’ll talk later”

Peter nodded, and Morgan bounded back into the room, shaking her feet in her wellington boots.

“Right, let’s go!” she said, grabbing Peter’s hand. “Daddy can have you later”

Peter took a last look at Tony, mouthed; ‘sorry’, and then let the little girl take him outside. Tony shook his head fondly.

“Tony?”

“Hm?” he looked at Pepper. “Hey… Y’know, they’re probably gonna be out there for a while, so if you wanted to… ‘play’, maybe we could..?”

Pepper blinked at him. “Are you propositioning me?”

Tony shrugged. “Only if you want me to be”

“Are you sure? It’s been… a little while”

Tony put his hands on her shoulders. “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t want it too”

-

Pepper turned onto her stomach, looking at her husband.

“Where did  _that_  come from?”

Tony grinned at her. “Just call it a thank you card”

“You’re seriously weird, did you know that?” she said, kissing him gently.

“It’s been mentioned” Tony said. “I love you”

“I love you too”

-

Peter was surprised at how quickly he managed to get lost in the game. Morgan was a funny kid; sparky and energetic and cheeky, and her games reflected that. They lost track of time pretty quickly, enjoying each others company.

“It’s good that you’re here” she said, lowering her water pistol at the end of a particularly energetic game.

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah. Mummy made me keep it a secret, and I was about to  _burst_ ”

Peter laughed. “Aww, cute!”

Morgan grabbed his hand, giving it a tug. “You gotta come back into the den now”

“Ok, ok” Peter said, obediently ducking under the fabric and squashing into the den with her. “What do you want to play now?”

“I’m not sure” Morgan said, looking round the den. “What do  _you_ want to play?”

“I’m not sure either. It’s been a pretty long time since I’ve played games like this” he said. “I’ve got those Snap cards inside, though. We could open them”

“Card games are boring”

“Ok, ok” he sighed, thinking, and leant back - only to put his hand on something sharp. “Ow, fuck!”

He jerked his arm away, rubbing his palm - and then suddenly realised Morgan was staring at him.

“What does fuck mean?”

Peter’s eyes widened. “You can’t say that word!”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s bad!” Peter said. “I shouldn’t’ve said it either”

“I’m gonna say it to my parents” she said, getting up. 

“No! Morgan, don’t do that! We’ll get into trouble!” Peter protested, scrambling out of the den after her. “Morgan!”

“I’m gonna say it to my dad!” she stuck her tongue out at him and started running back towards the house.

“No! Morgan, wait!!” 

She was very fast for someone so small. Peter ran after her, and when they literally fell through the front door at the same time, he grabbed her, half-pinning her down on the floorboards.

“Don’t you dare say it! I’ll- I’ll tickle you!”

Morgan wriggled, laughing, and saw her parents watching them. Peter noticed too, but he was more concerned with what might come out of their daughters mouth.

“Hey daddy! Peter-”

“Morgan, stop! Please don’t!” Peter begged, getting worried. 

Morgan wriggled free, scrambling to her feet.

“Peter said fuck!”

“MORGAN!!”

Peter grabbed her, covering her mouth with his hand. “You’re so bad!”

Morgan licked his hand, shrieking with laughter at his disgust as he released her. Tony and Pepper looked at each other. Tony’s lip twitched, and he started laughing. Pepper shook her head at him, trying very hard not to succumb to the giggles herself. She went over and rescued Peter and Morgan from each other, pulling Morgan to one side.

“You don’t ever say words like that, Morgan”

Tony held a hand out to Peter, helping him to his feet.

“I’m so sorry, Mr Stark! I just hurt my hand and it kinda slipped out and I tried to tell her it’s bad and-”

“Hey” Tony interrupted, trying not to laugh even more at the boys red face. “We’ve all done it; don’t look so worried”

“You’re laughing…”

“Hey, come on, that  _was_ pretty funny! I didn’t even know you were legally allowed to say it”

Peter stared at him, and Tony laughed more, putting an arm round his shoulders. 

“Stop it with the face. Give it five minutes and she’ll be on to the next bit of mischief”

-

The rest of the afternoon and evening passed by without incident. Peter managed to get his Snap cards out and teach Morgan how to play. She wasn’t especially good at it, but he and Tony purposely pretended not to see a lot of the matching pairs to give her a chance to shout, and she ended up ‘winning’ quite a few games. 

After a late dinner, Pepper took Morgan off to bed, leaving Tony and Peter alone on the sofa. 

“I still find it funny thinking you’ve got a daughter” Peter said.

Tony looked at him.

“It’s just… well, I’m still getting my head around the fact that I was away for five years. It barely felt like five  _minutes_ ” 

“It must be weird” Tony said. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, of course, Mr Stark”

“What did it feel like?”

Peter didn’t need any clarification. “I just felt all hot and shaky and a bit sick. It… ached, I guess. And there was this kinda sharp pain while bits of me… went” he looked away. “I asked people about it, but no one else felt anything. I think I was the only one who did. I think it’s because of the spidey sense…”

“Peter? Hey, kid, look at me”

“I don’t want to”

“Why not?”

“…Because I’m scared I’ll cry if I do”

Tony stood up. He paused, resting a hand on Peter’s head for a moment before going out to the kitchen. He returned a few minutes later, mug in hand. He sat down beside Peter and handed him the mug.

“…What is it?”

“Morgan calls it Sleepy Potion. It’s just hot milk with honey and cinnamon”

“That’s adorable…” he took a quick sip. “It’s good…”

“Of course it is:  _I_ made it”

Peter stayed quiet for a while, drinking.

“Hey, kid? You were real good with Morgan today… How do you stay so positive all the time?”

Peter shrugged. “It’s easier. If people think you look happy, they don’t ask questions”

Tony looked at him. He looked smaller, somehow. He looked sad. And scared.

“If I ask you something, will you answer me honestly?”

When Peter didn’t respond, Tony put a hand on his cheek, gently turning his head so that he had to look at him. 

“Are you ok?”

Tears welled in Peter’s eyes. He pulled away, shaking his head. 

“Aw, kid” Tony sighed sadly. 

Peter covered his mouth with his hand, and a little shaky cry escaped him, despite himself.

“Aww, Peter. Hey, it’s ok. Here, let me take that” 

Tony took Peter’s mug and set it on the coffee table. He tried to put his arms round him, but Peter pulled away.

“Don’t! Oh god, I said I wasn’t going to do this-!” 

“What? Hey, don’t you walk away from me!”

Tony stood up too, grabbing him by the wrist. 

“I don’t want to cry in front of you! I told myself I wouldn’t, I didn’t want to cry here. I don’t have any right; so many people had it worse, I mean, I mean, you got hurt, didn’t you? We were all so scared for you. I wanted to cheer you up! I tried to be good, and then Ms Potts- uh, Mrs Stark- rang, and she said you might like some company, and I wanted to come over here and be good and make you smile and stuff, and, and I wasn’t gonna talk about this, I didn’t wanna talk about this, I didn’t-”

“Hey, hey, now you come here” Tony said firmly, pulling Peter close and hugging him tight. “You cry just as much as you need to. God knows I’ve been filling swimming pools”

Peter pulled away from him, flopping back onto the sofa, knuckling his eyes furiously.

“You don’t get it. I’m just all mixed up. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s just… I don’t know! So many people went through so much more than me and they’re getting on fine, so-”

“Hey” Tony sat down beside him, taking his face in his hands. “Have you talked to anyone about this?”

“No!” Peter said, grabbing Tony’s wrists, pulling his hands away from his face but keeping hold of them. “Why would I? Everyone’s got their own problems, ‘cos of what Thanos did, so, so, so why sh-should I make things worse for them? I’m fine, I’m fine, I’m f-”

He was crying too hard to carry on. He still had tight hold of Tony’s wrists, but he couldn’t look at him; too embarrassed and annoyed at himself for letting this happen.

“You’re not fine. You don’t have to pretend you are” Tony said, his heart thudding in his chest. “I’m gonna hug you again, ok?”

Peter nodded tearfully, and this time he didn’t pull away. He hugged Tony tight, sobbing into his shoulder. 

“That’s it, you just let it out” he said, one hand on the back of the boys head. “You cry just as much as you need. I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere”

He was being so nice that Peter couldn’t help crying harder. Tony rested his head against Peter’s and squeezed his eyes shut, trying hard not to let it get to him. He tried, but soon tears spilt from his eyes. Peter didn’t notice at first, but then the man’s shoulders started to shake, and he pulled away quickly, covering his mouth with the back of his hand.

“I’m sorry, Mr Stark! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry! I’m sorry!”

“It’s ok! Hey, it’s ok, here, just-”

“What’s going on in here?!”

They both looked up at the source of the concerned voice. Pepper took one look at their tragic faces and sighed.

“Oh, darlings. What are you like?”

She came over to the front of the sofa.

“I’m sorry, miss, I didn’t mean to upset him! I swear I didn’t!”

“Hey, don’t apologise! You haven’t done anything wrong” she said. “Calm down. Let Tony hug you”

Peter let himself be pulled close again. Tony looked up at Pepper, and the look on his face said it all. Pepper sat down, putting her arms round both of them.

“Kid, it’s ok. You’re allowed to be upset. I was in that fight too, remember? I know what it was like. I know how it feels”

Peter buried himself further into Tony’s chest, still shaking with sobs. Tony moved and put his arms round Pepper, holding her tight with Peter sandwiched in the middle of them.

“We’ve got you, kiddo” he said, his voice shaking. “We’ve got you”

-

Once Peter and Tony had managed to stop crying, Pepper went and fixed them all a drink, and the three of them sat together on the sofa, Peter in the middle.

“It’s scary stuff” Pepper said. “It’s bound to have an effect on you”

“…I just can’t stop thinking about it. I don’t  _want_ to think about it, but it keeps creeping back… We all could’ve died”

“But we didn’t” Pepper said. “We’re all still here”

“We didn’t get out of it unscathed” Tony looked down at his arm, rubbing the scarring in his wrist. “It’s gonna take time. Just because other people might’ve had it worse, doesn’t change what you went through”

“Do you… do you have dreams about it?”

Tony and Pepper looked at each other. Peter was too busy staring into his drink to notice.

“Do you?” Pepper asked.

Peter nodded. “Sometimes it’s all the what ifs. And sometimes it’s just memories. One memory more than others…”

Pepper squeezed his hand. “You’re allowed to talk to us. You don’t have to hide it. What’s the memory?”

“It’s… when I had the gauntlet. So they all attacked me. And I had the instant kill on but there was so many of them and I couldn’t see a way out and I thought, I thought I was gonna die, and I ended up in that pit on my back, and they were all there, and I couldn’t fight them all, and I just, I just felt so helpless and scared and alone”

He wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

“But you weren’t alone” Pepper said. “You got out of it”

“Captain Marvel saved me… She was nice”

“Yeah, she was. We all looked out for each other out there. No one would have let anything happen to you”

Peter looked at her, and flinched when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Sorry, sorry” Tony said. “I’m sorry. It’s just me”

Peter swallowed. “We thought you were dead”

“I thought I was, too” Tony said. “And it’s horrible. I get the nightmares too, kiddo. But I’m still here, for whatever reason. All of that stuff? It’s over now. We’re safe. It’s all in the past”

Peter couldn’t stop looking at him. He knew Tony was struggling. He knew he wasn’t as ok with it all as he was trying to make out. He knew he was angry and scared and upset. But he was putting all that aside to reassure him, and that in itself was testament to his strength.

“We won…”

“Yeah, we did” 

Peter took a deep breath. “I’m sorry”

“Don’t you dare” Tony said. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for”

“Sorry…”

“That’s another apology, kid” Pepper said, stroking the boys damp fringe back over his forehead. 

“S-… Uh… I don’t know what to say know”

Tony laughed slightly, as did Pepper. Peter couldn’t help smiling too. 

“Can we… can we stay here for a bit and talk?” Peter said. “I know I’ve only just shut up again, but it might help. Everyone says it helps to talk”

Tony put an arm round his shoulder, giving him a little squeeze. “Sure thing. They say crying helps too”

-

Tony stumbled into the kitchen and headed straight for the coffee machine.

“Morning” Pepper said.

“Morning” Tony mumbled, flicking the machine on and rubbing his eyes. “You’d’ve thought that shower would’ve woken me up” 

“Morning, daddy!”

“Morning, Morgan” he looked round the kitchen. “Is Peter not up yet?”

“Not yet” 

“I’ll go and wake him!” Morgan offered.

“No, Morgan” Pepper said. “He won’t appreciate you jumping on him: let daddy go”

She gave Tony a pointed look. Tony sighed, and nodded. He supposed he was the obvious choice.

-

Peter was still curled up fast asleep in bed, one hand up by his face. It seemed a shame to wake him when he looked so peaceful, but Tony gave his shoulder a little shake even so. 

“Hey, spider-boy. You gotta wake up now”

Peter stirred, and opened his eyes, blinking up at Tony.

“Morning, Mr Stark…” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “What time is it?”

“It’s nearly ten” 

“What, really?” Peter said, sitting up. “I didn’t realise”

“No problem, kid. Why don’t you get dressed and then come and grab something to eat? If you can escape Morgan, I’ve got something I wanna show you later”

“Oh right! Ok. Uh, I’ll try and be quick”

-

Morgan pounced at Peter as soon as he came through to the kitchen.

“Hey, Peter! We’re gonna play schools today! I’ll be the teacher, and you can be the naughty kid who never does what he’s told”

“Wow, ok” Peter laughed.

Morgan grabbed his hand. “Come on then!”

“Hey, Morgan, leave him alone for a minute” Pepper said. “Let him have his breakfast first”

Morgan considered. “Fine. I’m gonna go and get the school ready” 

“I have some concerns about this” Peter said, once the little girl had trotted off. “She’s already decided I’m the bad kid”

“The best thing to do is just humour her” Pepper said. “She’s a fun kid, but she has some wicked ideas sometimes”

“Oh yeah, I found that out properly yesterday. She made me be a grass monster”

“What does a grass monster do?” Tony asked.

“Hides in the grass and grabs the ankles of anyone who walks by, basically” Peter said. “But they can be taken down with water guns. But only if you hit them right in the face”

Tony laughed fondly. “That girl! She knows exactly what she’s doing”

-

Morgan’s school game was interesting to say the least. Peter wasn’t sure what kind of film the little girl had been watching, or what kind of books she’d been reading, but her methods were positively historic. After having his hands hit with a My Little Pony ruler and being told to kneel with his hands behind his head, he guessed it must be something Victorian. Whatever it was, it was clear that Morgan was in charge. Peter played the naughty schoolkid well enough, but whenever he decided he should have a bit of a redemption arc and settle down and do his sums, Morgan would whisper in his ear to throw something or tear up his page, and then she’s jump back and act alpha. 

Tony stopped in the doorway of the living room later that morning, watching the two playing. Morgan was definitely one of the most confident little kids he’d ever seen, and she’d definitely inherited her mothers no-nonsense attitude. It was nice seeing her playing with someone. He had to give Peter credit for his patience and complete willingness to go along with any game she suggested. They got on so well. It was endearing to watch. 

“That talk is not good enough for school! Don’t do that or I’ll wash your mouth out with soap!”

“Wow, you’re a real strict teacher” Peter said.

“That’s MADAME STARK to you!” Morgan shouted. “You’re the baddest boy I ever taught! Put your hand out!”

Peter did so obediently. Tony chuckled to himself - but his expression changed when Morgan hit him with her ruler.

“Hey hey hey, Morgan! Don’t hit Peter like that!” he said, rushing over and taking to ruler from her.

“But he’s being a naughty school boy!”

“Yeah, in the game. That doesn’t mean you can hit him in real life” Tony said, kneeling down and taking Peter’s hand. There was a series of red marks across his palm. “Ouch. How many times did you hit him?”

Morgan shrugged. 

Tony sighed. “Peter, you should’ve stopped her”

“It’s ok. It doesn’t really hurt” Peter said. “It was just part of the game”

“Morgan, come here” 

Morgan went over to her dad. Tony put an arm round her.

“Now, sweetheart, listen to me: you don’t hit people, ever, not even in a game. And you don’t hurt your friends. Ok?”

Morgan nodded. “Sorry daddy” she looked at Peter. “Sorry, Peter”

“Don’t worry about it” Peter said, smiling at her.

Tony gave her a hug. “Good girl. Right, why don’t you go and nag mummy? You need lunch, and I’m pretty sure I saw some of your favourite chocolate biscuits in the cupboard”

“Ok! Can Peter come too?”

“I need to borrow him. You can have him back later”

Morgan nodded. “Ok. I’ll see you later!”

Tony shook his head fondly, watching after her. He turned back to Peter.

“You should have told her not to hit you like that” he said.

“I didn’t want to upset her by telling her off”

Tony sighed, ruffling the boys hair. “You’re too nice, that’s your problem. Ah well, no harm done”

“Mm. So, you said you needed to borrow me?”

“Oh yeah. I’ve got something to show you. Come with me”

-

Peter looked down at the rough sketches and diagrams on the page. He looked at the scrawled notes and the corrections. 

“Have you started?” he asked after a long silence.

“Yes and no. I’ve modified an old Iron Man gauntlet, just as a prototype. It still needs tweaking though, and an extra pair of hands would be useful”

He opened a drawer, taking out the modified gauntlet and handing it to Peter. Peter took it carefully, turning it over in his hands. He looked at Tony for permission, and then slipped it onto his hand. It felt uncomfortably heavy. It was quite tight, especially around the joints. He clenched and unclenched his fist, and he could feel the resistance of the inner supports as he did it. He turned his hand over, and circled his wrist, and as he did so, he could feel the supports pressing into his hand. 

“It’s kinda… clunky” he said. “I mean, if it’s gonna be for everyday…”

“You think? I was thinking it might be better that way. Better support; better control”

“I can definitely feel the support” Peter said, slipping the gauntlet off his hand and setting it carefully down on the workbench. “I…”

“I’ve not perfected it yet. It’s not strong enough”

“I don’t think it needs to be clunky to be strong” Peter said. “Have you thought about doing something that incorporates the supports, but without the outer casing? It’d be better for every day. Like those plastic casts for broken bones that you see online that kinda look like netting” 

Tony looked at him, and smiled. 

“You’re a clever little thing. This is brilliant”

“What?”

“You being here” 

“Oh. And why’s that?” Peter smiled.

“Because, my boy” Tony said, putting an arm round his shoulders. “You’re going to help fix me”

*


	4. Maybe You'll Get A Replacement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, I am so sorry for the delay in updating! Despite knowing what's going to happen, I've still found this fic really difficult to write. Still, I've finally finished this (extra long) chapter, and hopefully it was worth the wait!
> 
> On a side note, in my mind, I've worked out soundtrack placement massively for it, which is part of the reason for the use of lyrics and song references throughout this work. 
> 
> On yet another note, most of the time of my fics I offer a oneshot to people who can guess chapter title connections, but it's too obvious on this one. But, with the music of Elton John having a big part in it, I did find out quite by accident that Robert Downey Jr actually starred in the music video for I Want Love, so if you're a big RDJ fan, that might be worth looking up. It also make me think my connection to Elton John in this work was something of fate (even though it was of course only a coincidence!)

-

Peter swallowed. Tony probably hadn’t meant it, but it sounded like he was placing the responsibility of this aid on his shoulders. 

“Hey, lend me your hand” Tony said. “No, the right one”

Peter held his arm out, and let Tony take hold of it. He watched him take out a black marker and start drawing an outline on him. 

“I think your idea is better” Tony said, sketching in supports. “It’ll be better than clunking around in an Iron Man gauntlet. Maybe not as cool, but more practical. It’ll be easier to fix and modify if it’s just this, too. Kinda like a skeleton, right? Or a spiders web”

Peter didn’t say anything. He looked at the blueprint taking shape on his arm. It looked pretty cool, and the idea was sound - but he did wonder if it would actually work. He’d seen Tony get cross about his bad arm a lot while he was in hospital, and Peter didn’t know enough about the medical side of his condition to know whether he’d ever recover properly. But what he did know, was that if this product - this prosthesis, as it were - failed, well, Peter didn’t want to be on the receiving end of Tony’s anger again. 

-

The sound of the door opening made Peter jump. Pepper took one look at the ink on his skin, and folded her arms over her chest.

“What are you doing?”

“Planning” Tony said. “We’ve found a better design for my thing”

“Peter, why don’t you go and have a bath and try to wash all that ink off?”

Peter knew it wasn’t really a suggestion, and he got up obediently.

“Wait, wait” Tony said, grabbing Peter’s arm. “I need to take pictures first, and then I can make a 3D simulation of it. We’ll start 3D printing it later, or at least a prototype, ok?”

Peter nodded, and let Tony take photos of his arm from all angles. 

“Thanks, kiddo. You’d better run now”

Peter did, leaving Tony and Pepper together. Tony shrugged at Pepper.

“What’s that face for?”

“You remember that conversation we had about doing your physio?”

“I  _do_ do my physio” Tony said. “But my way is better and quicker”

“Oh really?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve stopped believing in me after all these years”

Pepper sighed, going over and winding her arms round him, resting her chin on his shoulder. 

“I want you to get better. I want you to be happy, but I also think maybe you putting all your efforts into ‘fixing’ your arm isn’t the best use of your time” she said. “I love you, Tony, but I can’t let you, let this, consume you. Can’t you step back, focus on the family, and on the kid while he’s here?”

“I love you too, Pep… But I want to be able to lift my little girl up in both arms, and I want to be able to work again, properly” he said. “I can’t fix the scars, but I can sort my arm out. I just need some time to get it right”

“You always have to be so stubborn, don’t you?” she sighed. “I’m not going to be able to change your mind about this, am I?”

“I’m not putting myself above you and Morgan. You’re my priority, but this little replacement thing, this prosthetic - if you will - it’s good for all of us, right?”

“I know why you’re doing this” she said. “But do you really think getting the kid involved in making this thing is a good idea?”

“Peter’s a smart kid. He’ll be able to help do the fiddly bits and stuff that my hand can’t manage right now. He likes this kinda stuff; it’ll be fine. We’ll get this done, and then we can get on with domestic bliss, just us, here”

“That isn’t really what I meant” Pepper said. Tony didn’t respond. “Take a break. Go and get something to eat”

“I’m not hungry”

“I didn’t ask”

Tony laughed slightly. “Alright, alright. Where’s Morgan?”

“Eating. She’s the only sensible person in this household” 

“God knows where she gets it from” Tony said, knowing full well. He stood up. “Fine, I’ll take a break, if it’ll make you feel better”

“Good. Now go and eat”

-

Morgan looked up when her father came into the kitchen.

“Are you in trouble?”

“You betcha, kiddo” Tony said, sticking a slice of bread into the toaster. 

“Where’s Peter? Is he in trouble too?”

“Nearly” Tony said. “Don’t worry about him; he’s just having a bath. Hey, do you want a biscuit?”

“I’ve already had one”

“Well, have another” Tony said, finding the packet and giving her one. “Just don’t tell mum, or we’ll both be in trouble”

Morgan giggled, and put a finger to her lips, silently promising to stay quiet.

“That’s my girl” Tony smiled fondly. “So, is your school back in session now you’ve had lunch?”

Morgan shook her head. “No more school. I’m gonna play something else”

“Oh yeah, what are you gonna play?”

“I don’t know yet. Bikes, probably”

She sounded so serious that Tony couldn’t help but laugh.

“Sorry, sorry!” he said, throwing his hands up in defence at the little glare she fixed him with. “Bikes. Very good idea”

“Can you make it light up?”

“Your bike? Sure, I can give it a go, modify the wheel spikes a bit, add a bit of flare, maybe make it so you can see a picture when the wheels are spinning. You’ll help design it, right?”

“Yep! Set it on fire!”

“Woah, woah, that’s a bit far” Tony chuckled. “We’re not turning it into a weapon. A light up bike is good enough for now. I’ve got a whole bunch of stuff knocking about that could work. We’ll work on it some time”

“I’ll hold you to that” 

Tony laughed, and gave her a little hug. She was a funny kid.

-

For a while, Tony managed to forget about the modification for his arm. He spent the afternoon with Morgan, planning the lighting work for her bike, and then messing about outside. The weather was mild, so there was no stopping them. Peter joined them later on. He was more active than Tony, and closer to Morgan’s speed. It was good having both kids together. Peter still happily did whatever Morgan asked, smiling and singing silly old childrens songs to make her laugh. In the middle of one of their games, Tony stopped and thought to himself just how good it was to be out of hospital, to have all this space to himself and the people he loved. Sure, things weren’t perfect, but they were getting pretty damn close.

-

After Morgan had gone to bed, Tony wheeled her bike into his work space, and sat down to start making the lighting modifications for the wheels. They’d brainstormed lots of ideas, but Morgan had eventually decided on a simple daisy-type flower, yellow in the middle, with pink petals, and a green border. A very cute, little-girly idea, and one Tony was sure would be simple to execute. 

Peter had asked for a slab of strong wood, and he sat at the other end of the workbench, working away.

“What’cha working on there, kiddo?” Tony asked. “Didn’t know you were into woodwork”

“Well, we do a little bit at school, but that’s it, really” he shook his head slightly. “Have you got some heavy duty rope knocking about?”

“Uhh, I think there’s some out in the shed. Should be, anyway” Tony said.

They both worked quietly for a while, the sounds of their work tools being their soundtrack. Peter finished sizing his creation. He sanded the edges, and bore a good sized hole on the short sides of the rectangular block of wood. He filed the inside of the holes, and carved grooves around the edges of the block, making a dented outline on the top surface. 

“What are you making?” Tony asked.

“Hm? Oh. Um… Well, I told Morgan I’d make her a swing”

Tony looked up. “Oh?”

“Yeah. We were talking a bit when we were messing about on the trees. They’d be perfect for it, yknow. I thought I could knock one together pretty easily, just wood, and then rope to tie it to the tree” Peter said. “Uhhh, I don’t suppose you’ve got a book on knots anywhere? I wanna make sure I use the safest one”

“Not as far as I know. You might just have to google it” Tony said. “That girl! She’s got you wrapped round her little finger already!”

“That’s what Pepper said” Peter smiled. “She’s sweet. I like her…”

“But..?”

Peter shrugged. “I’m still getting my head around the fact that you’ve got a daughter, yknow. The whole, being gone for five years without realising it, it’s a funny one”

“Yeah, I can imagine. Still, we’re all here. We can get back to normal - or, whatever ‘normal’ is!” 

Peter glanced up at him. “Have you got a burny tool?”

“What, a soldering iron?”

“No, like, one of those burny tools you can use to write things with. I don’t know what they’re called”

“Ooh. It’s pyrography, isn’t it? I think they’re literally just called pyrography wood burning tools” Tony said. “I’ve got one somewhere, I’m sure of it”

He stopped what he was doing and started rummaging through his work bench drawers. Peter waited patiently. Tony found the old tool buried at the bottom. He turned it over in his hands before handing it to the boy.

“I’d maybe practice on some old wood first. Don’t burn yourself”

“I won’t. Thanks, Mr Stark”

Peter spent a while practising. Tony watched him, and he got up when he put the tool to the swing seat. He kept a safe distance, but kept a close eye on what he was doing. Peter’s writing was a little shaky, and darker in some places where he’d pressed harder, and lighter in others where he hadn’t pressed quite so hard, but that didn’t matter.  _For Morgan, from your friend Peter_ , it read, and he’d burnt a lopsided little heart into the wood after his name. He put the wood burner down, and Tony reached out and ruffled his hair, much to Peter’s surprise.

“She’ll love it” Tony smiled. 

Peter smiled a little nervously. “You really think she’ll like it? I know it’s a bit amateur, and not really like the kind of swing you can buy”

“It doesn’t matter: it looks good. No one else will have one like that. We can put it up tonight, and it’ll be a surprise for her in the morning”

“Ok!”

Tony squeezed his shoulder. “Let’s find some rope and look up some knots, kiddo”

-

Putting the swing up took longer than expected, but after a lot of redoing of knots and readjusting of ropes, they got it hanging evenly on the strongest tree, close to the den. 

“There! Done!” Peter said, feeling quite proud of himself.

“You should test it”

“Uh… ok” Peter sat on the swing. It didn’t fall down, which was a good sign.

“Have a swing, then”

Peter shifted awkwardly. “I feel silly”

“Get up a minute”

Peter did. Tony sat on the swing, and pulled Peter onto his lap. 

“Hey! Wait, I don’t want to hurt you!” Peter said, feeling his face flushing.

“You’re not that heavy, kid, don’t worry” Tony said, putting an arm round his waist to keep him there. “Hey, if this thing can hold us two, it can definitely hold Morgan”

“Yeah, I guess so” Peter said.

Peter didn’t dare move. He was actually sat on Tony Stark’s lap. Wow. He felt a little awkward, but, truth be told, he quite liked it. Tony always felt like a safe person to be with, and this was another one of those nice, safe, moments.

“Still, better to test it properly” Tony said, kicking off to put the swing into motion. 

It held up well, which they both suspected it would. It was strong and secure. It felt like any other swing now. Tony gradually brought the swing back to a standstill. 

“I think it’ll be fine” he said, slowly releasing Peter.

Peter got up, and Tony did too. They both looked at the swing. Tony gave Peter a playful punch on the shoulder.

“Good work, kid. Now all I need to do is finish the bike lights, and she’ll be well away”

Peter nodded. “Yeah, cool. Can I help?”

“Sure. You can do all the fiddly boring bits for me”

Tony put an arm round Peter’s shoulders, and lead him back to the house.

-

Pepper watched Morgan riding her bike around with flowers lighting up on the wheels, and turned to Tony.

“You spoil her, you know”

“Well, what can I say? I’ve always been good with the ladies” 

“You’re an idiot” Pepper said, kissing him gently. “It does look good, I’ll give you that”

“She likes it. That’s all that matters”

“How long did it take?”

“A few hours” Tony shrugged. “Peter did the fiddly bits for me, otherwise it would’ve been longer”

-

Tony sat on the new swing, Morgan on his lap, kicking against the floor to keep the swing going.

“You can go pretty high on these things once you know how” Tony said. 

“What if I go too high and go right over the branch?”

“I don’t think there’s too much risk of that” Tony said, resting his head against hers. “You don’t have to go high if it scares you. You can swing just how you like”

“It’s a good swing” Morgan said.

“Yeah, Peter’s done well”

“I like the heart he drew. And the little message”

“Cute, right?”

“He’s my friend” Morgan said, putting her hands over her fathers. “But you’re my friend more”

Tony paused, and kissed her on the temple. “You’re my friend too”

Morgan craned her head to look at him. “Best friends?”

Tony smiled. “The best friends ever”

-

Peter felt like Tony’s plans for the arm support had been put on the back burner, so it was a bit of a surprise when Tony laid the blueprints out in front of him at the work bench that evening. 

“So, this is where we got to the other night. And this is where  _I_ got to while you were with Pepper” he produced the 3D printed skeleton of the support they’d designed. “I’ve been tweaking it, but it’s still fitted to you, not me. Here”

Peter took it, looking it over. it was a lot lighter than it looked. It looked a little funny, but it looked smooth, sleek, almost like a finished product. As he looked closer, he could see evidence of the electrics and adjustments Tony had made. 

“Stick it on. You’ll be able to tell me what it’s like. Morgan put it on but it was too big for her, of course. She said it looked cool anyway, so that’s high praise” he said. “Go on, put it on. Tell me how it feels”

“Is it switched on?”

“Just squeeze that bit at the back of the wrist. I’ll make it an auto thing later, but this is just the prototype, so it’s just a button” 

Peter squeezed it, feeling the button click, and then slipped it onto his hand. It felt a lot better than the gauntlet. It was light, and more comfortable. The bit near the inner elbow cut in a bit, but it didn’t seem like anything that couldn’t be easily fixed.

“Well, move your hand about a bit, then” Tony said, getting a little impatient.

Peter did as he was asked, moving his wrists, moving his thumb and each finger individually, clenching and unclenching his fists, pinching his fingers together and crossing them. The resistance on the gauntlet version had been very obvious and distracting, but it was so much better on this. He could feel the support, feel the aid in moving and stabilising his fingers, especially when using pincer grip, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It did judder a little bit in places, probably due to it being a rush job, but it felt good. Promising. 

Peter relayed all of this feedback to Tony, and Tony’s lips twitched, and he soon smiled.

“We’re on the right track, kiddo” he said. “We’ll tune it up, and then we’ll practice with strength and stuff before we make one for me, ok?”

“Well, ok, but… I don’t think we can test strength with me”

“Right, why not?”

“Well, uh… With all due respect, Mr Stark, I’m not the one who can’t heavy lift with one hand”

Tony was quiet for a moment. “Ok, good point. Well, we can fine tune all the rest of it on you, and then we’ll work on the strength when we’ve made one to fit me”

Peter nodded. “Sorry”

“Don’t be: you’re not wrong. Anyway, just show me where it needs adjusting by the elbow. We can sort that first, and then we’ll start on the inner mechanisms. I might need to use your hands for some of it”

“Ok. So, just this bit here? And maybe take some of the like, lines? Lines, yeah, from over the elbow bone, and like, just have it as a loop over the outlines, maybe with a band round that bit of the upper arm, if you need extra support to keep it on. Does that make sense?”

“Yeah, I get you. What do you think for the colour, anyway? Should we try to make a clear or flesh tone one?”

Peter thought for a moment. “Flesh tone would look weird, and I don’t think you could make a clear one: it’d just show all the inner workings. I think the black looks fine. I mean, as long as it works, that’s the main bit, right? I don’t think it matters if it’s noticeable. Lots of mobility aids are…”

“Yeah, ok, we’ll stick with the black. So, sounds like it’s working already, so that’s a good sign. I think we can get this prototype done tonight, and we’ll start on mine tomorrow. How’s that sound?”

“Ambitious” Peter said. “But considering you managed to get all of this done in like, three hours, I think it’s doable, especially with two of us” 

“Good answer. Right, just a second” he went out to the kitchen, returning hardly a minute later and handing a litre bottle of pop to Peter, and keeping another for himself. “Ok, stick the stereo on, and let’s get to work”

-

‘Ambitious but doable’ ended up being the correct assumption. It was hard going, and sometimes Peter found it hard explaining the issues to be fixed properly, but the music in the background helped then along in calm workmanship, and eventually, the prototype was finished. They both looked at the plastic mesh, Peter flexing his arm and testing it again. 

“You know, once you’re used to it, it looks kinda cool” he said. “Shall I try the weights again?”

“Sure” Tony said.

Peter spent a little while messing with the dumbbells. Even though he didn’t have the weakness that Tony had, they’d worked out that there was a definite difference between lifting heavy objects with and without the support of the prototype, and they thought it was a fairly good basis for working out strength. 

“I think that’s enough testing” Tony said.

Peter put the dumbbells down. “Well, you were right in saying it could be finished tonight”

“Yeah, I was, wasn’t I?” he put an arm round the boys shoulders, and couldn’t help but laugh happily. “We’ve done it, kiddo! We’re another step - no, another  _leap -_ closer to fixing my bad arm! I’ll be back to my old self before you know it”

Peter still agreed with Pepper; that maybe this support wasn’t the best way to go, and that maybe Tony should just focus on his physio and on his family, but he couldn’t very well tell him that, and he certainly couldn’t shoot him down in his moment of triumph. So, he just grinned at him.

“It’s a pretty cool thing! I’m kinda, well, I’m pretty happy with how it’s turned out”

“You should be proud, kiddo. Couldn’t’ve done it without you” Tony gave him a quick squeeze. “Ok, it’s late, and I’ve got a feeling my lovely wife might like some company. Let’s call it a night in here”

“Ok, yeah, it’s getting pretty late” Peter said, slipping the prototype off his arm and putting it back into it’s lockable box. “I don’t think I could work much more tonight”

“It’s been a long one. Why don’t you head on up to bed? Can’t have you burning out” Tony said. 

“That does sound pretty tempting. Thanks, Mr Stark”

“Still always so formal” Tony said, shaking his head fondly. “Go on, then. Goodnight, kiddo” 

“Goodnight. See you in the morning”

-

Tony was in good spirits all day, arguably the best he’d been in since getting out of hospital. They all had a good day, and that evening, after Morgan had gone to bed, Peter had finished talking to May on the phone, and Pepper had settled in front of the telly with a glass of wine, Tony grabbed the boy and took him back to the workbench. 

“Right, let’s resize this digital blueprint and get my support done, ok?”

“Ok. Did you make notes of all the fixings and stuff?”

“Yeah, I uploaded everything onto this file, and scribbled a bunch of notes after you’d gone to bed last night. Barely took a minute. Right”

Peter watched Tony playing with the projected blueprint, sizing it to his own arm and adjusting it where necessary. It didn’t take him too long to perfect the sizing, and send it to the 3D printer.

“Ok” Tony said, sitting back while it was printing, and grabbing a notebook. “We’ve worked out all the mechanisms, all the fixings, so we know exactly what we’re doing. Here, take this list, get out everything we need”

“Sure thing, Mr Stark” 

Peter obediently took the list, reading it over.

“Um, Mr Stark?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we put some music on? It’s easier to concentrate with background music”

Tony smiled. “Sure thing, kiddo. I’ve got something you’ll like”

Peter looked at him. They never really talked about music. The only thing Peter could remember telling him in the last few weeks was that he’d recently gotten into Elton John. Tony pressed play on his music - and it was obvious he’d remembered what Peter had said.

_Hey kids, shake it loose together_   
_The spotlight’s hitting something_   
_That’s been known to change the weather,_   
_We’ll kill the fatted calf tonight_   
_So stick around,_   
_You’re gonna hear electric music_   
_Solid walls of sound_

_Say, Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet_   
_Oooh but they’re so spaced out, B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets,_   
_Oh but they’re weird and they’re wonderful_   
_Oh Bennie she’s really keen_

_She’s got electric boots, a mohair suit_   
_You know I read it in a magazine,_   
_B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets_

-

Peter felt good. Tony was happy - or at least if not truly happy, then at least contented, and hopeful. Peter went and made them both a mug of coffee while the 3D printer was still working away, but they barely had a few mouthfuls before both mugs were left to go cold. 

Tony was right: they knew what they were doing now. The guesswork was gone out of it. Peter wore the prototype, just because it felt like the right thing to do. They worked together on each part of the plastic webbing, installing everything exactly as it had been on the prototype. It was incredibly complex doing all the electrics from scratch, and Peter was glad he didn’t have to do it alone, as it felt like it was way above his skill level. Tony saw his hesitation, and kept encouraging him, demonstrating some of it, talking him through everything and congratulating every completed section. 

Even with Tony’s instruction and Peter’s dexterity, it took a good hour and three-quarters to finish, but at least it was done. Peter pieced together the sections of the support, and then stayed with it in his hands, touching the inner supports and the smooth plastic. He looked up at Tony, and carefully held it out to him.

“It’ll work” Peter said, seeing his hesitation. “Mine works, and it’s just the prototype. This one will be fine too. And if it’s not, you can always blame me”

Tony laughed slightly. “You’re a funny kid, you know”

“Yeah, you say that a lot”

Tony smiled at him, took the support from him, and slipped it onto his arm. He adjusted it a little, making it sit properly. He clenched and unclenched his fist. It didn’t feel any different. It was still an effort, and it still felt juddery and funny. He frowned, and Peter carefully reached across, squeezing the button at the wrist of the support to turn it on. 

“I’ll get that sensor put in some time” Tony said, choosing to laugh at himself for forgetting something so simple. “Ok, moment of truth”

He took a deep breath, and clenched his fist again. He paused, unclenched his fist, spread his fingers, crossed them over each other, tapped his finger tips against his thumb. It felt a bit weird - but effortless. He straightened his arm, and bent it again. It was… fine. It wasn’t a huge effort. He could feel the supports of the aid working, and he was grateful that he could. It definitely worked. He just had a couple more things to test.

“Hey, Pete?” he said. “Do me a favour: go and get a plate and a bag of Skittles out of the cupboard in the kitchen”

“Morgan won’t be happy” 

“We’ll get her more. This is important”

“Ok” Peter went and got the Skittles and plate, and went back to Tony.

“Good. Right, I need to test something”

“Pincer grip?” Peter guessed, opening the Skittles and pouring them onto the plate.

“Exactly. It’s been very hit and miss since that whole infinity gauntlet business” Tony said. “And much more miss than hit. You’ve probably noticed”

“Yeah…” Peter watched him for a little while. “How does it feel?”

“It’s funny, because as much as I hate the whole thing, I must’ve gotten used to having a knackered arm” he said. “This feels weird, but it feels like - well, I think it’ll take some getting used to… Pass me one of those dumbbells”

Peter wasn’t so sure. Still, he did as he was asked, carefully choosing one of the lighter ones. Tony shook his head.

“No, give me one of the heavier ones”

“Are you sure that-”

“Do as you’re told”

He sounded so much like a dad that Peter was visibly taken aback. He picked up one of the heavier dumbbells, and put it in Tony’s right hand.

“You can let go now, kiddo. I’ve got this”

Peter bit his lower lip, and let go. Tony held the dumbbell for a while, turning his wrist, and then doing a slow bicep curl. He held the weight by his shoulder for a moment, and then lowered it. He managed a few quicker, controlled curls with ease, and he started laughing.

“It works! Oh god, it actually works! We’ve done it!” he grinned at Peter. “It works!”

Peter didn’t know what to say, so he stayed quiet. Tony put the weight down on the workbench, and stood up.

“It works!” he repeated, throwing his arms round Peter. “I knew we could do it! I said you’d help fix me, and you have! We’ve done it!”

Peter hugged him back, suddenly hit with the realisation. “So it feels ok?”

“It feels great!” Tony held him at arms length. “This is- oh my god, I don’t even know what to say! It’s always felt like such a hopeless concept, but now here we are, and it works, and I can pick up Skittles without having to concentrate for all I’m worth, and I can lift weights without my arm giving out! Oh god, this is just- I need to tell Pepper! Pepper!!!”

He let go of Peter, rushing off to find Pepper, and knocking over a mug of cold coffee as he did so. Peter stood there for a moment, not sure what to do, but opting for cleaning up instead of following Tony. He didn’t want to get in the way.

-

When Peter went through to the living room, Tony was still rambling excitedly to Pepper, demonstrating his new artificial strength and dexterity for her. He was trembling, his eyes watering with the adrenaline and happiness and pure relief of this triumph. Pepper had turned the telly off, giving him her undivided attention, sharing in his glory, asking him questions and trying not to let her own relief get out of hand. Maybe her relief was for a different reason, but it was there nevertheless - and seeing her husband smiling like he was had turned into such a rare occurrence, and it was simply beautiful to see.

Tony grinned at Peter as he cautiously approached.

“This is your work as well as mine, kiddo! You should be proud.  _I’m_ proud, I’m proud of us, I’m proud of  _you_! Come here, I bet I can pick you up now!”

“Umm, we haven’t really modified the strength for you properly yet” Peter said, stepping closer. “Shouldn’t we stick with weights for a while?”

“When did this kid get so serious?” Tony said, smiling at Pepper. “Let’s give it a go. Humour me, right?”

“I’m still not sure” Peter said, but Tony’s smile was infectious, and he couldn’t help smiling too.

“Right, good. So, your legs are obviously gonna be the lighter bit, so I want them over my left arm, so stand this way, and-”

“Mr Stark, w-”

“Shush, ok, let’s do this”

“Tony” Pepper said, smiling at him. “Don’t overdo it”

“It’s be out of character if I didn’t” Tony said, and before anyone could protest further, he scooped Peter off the ground, bridal-style.

For half a second there, it was fine. But then Tony’s bad arm gave out, and as he was still holding onto the boy, he fell with him. Pepper winced as they crashed onto the living room floor, landing in a heap. Peter shook his head, as though shaking the shock of the situation off.

“Mr Stark, are you ok?!”

“I’m fine, kiddo” Tony said, pushing himself up and sitting back on his heels. He grinned at Peter, and at Pepper. “I’m good. Ok, so we need to sort out and work on the strength, but we’re getting there!”

“I told you not to overdo it” Pepper said, and she knelt in front of him on the floor and kissed him hard.

Peter made a point of turning his head away while they kissed. It was a proper kiss, too: a proper film-star, madly-in-love, kiss. They held onto each other, and Pepper could feel the strength in Tony’s right hand. His aid - support, prosthetic, whatever it was - it worked. Maybe it wasn’t perfect yet, but it  _worked_. Tony needed that: not just for his arm, but for his peace of mind. It was another step closer to recovery. It wasn’t conventional, but that didn’t matter.

“We’ve got an audience, remember” Pepper said, after slowly breaking the kiss.

“You make it easy to forget” Tony smiled, his eyes glowing with love as he looked at her. 

Pepper smiled and shook her head, looking at Peter.

“You ok there?”

Peter nodded. “I’m fine”

“Hey, what’s up?” Tony said, noticing how he was cradling his arm.

“Hm? Oh… Uh, you kinda landed on my wrist. It’s fine though!” he quickly added.

“Let me see” Tony carefully took hold of him, and Peter sucked his breath. “Sorry, kiddo”

“It’s nothing, honestly”

“Wiggle your fingers for me… Now move your wrist, like, in a circle” Tony told him. “Ok, well, it might hurt, but it’s not broken”

“Yeah, I said it was fine” Peter said, trying to smile reassuringly. “I’m fine”

“We should still get you some ice” Pepper said, giving his shoulder a squeeze.

“Pep’s right, kiddo. Come on, kitchen. Don’t worry; I won’t try to carry you this time”

Peter couldn’t help laughing, and Pepper did too. He was still the same old Tony, no matter what.

-

Tony made them all a drink and they spent a good while sat at the kitchen table. Peter didn’t seem phased by the ice pack around his wrist, and continued to smile.

“So, have you got a name for it?” Pepper asked. “This whole mixing between aid, support, thing, or whatever, is getting a bit confusing even for me”

“You know, I was so busy making it, I didn’t even think about names” Tony said. “Any ideas, kid?”

“Umm… I’ll have to have a think” Peter said. “It does need a name though, I agree with that. I keep getting mixed up with what to call it as well”

Tony laughed slightly. “Right, let’s have a think. See if we can find something that means something”

They were all quiet for a few moments, sipping their drinks and thinking.

“A.S?” Pepper suggested, not sounding overly convinced with the idea.

“Simple enough” Tony said. “Could work. Kid, what have you got?”

“I’ll be honest, the only thing coming to mind is ‘handy gadget’, and I don’t think that’s so great”

Tony and Pepper laughed at him, shaking their heads.

“I think it needs a name with meaning, even if it’s not necessarily descriptive like A.S would be” Tony said. 

“Newbie?” Peter said awkwardly. “Signifying a new start?”

“It’s a decent idea: I can see where you’re coming from. I think you should have a say, anyway: you came up with the webbing design, and we built it together. We got to this point together…”

They all went quiet again. They’d left the music playing in the other room, and part of a song drifted through the door. 

_And if there comes a time,_   
_Guns and gates no longer hold you in,_   
_And if you’re free to make a choice,_   
_Just look towards the west and find a friend_

Tony and Peter looked at each other, and as their eyes met, they both knew exactly what the other was thinking. Pepper looked at them.

“What?” she said.

“We know what to call the arm support thing” Tony said. 

“Oh. What?”

Peter and Tony smiled at each other.

“Nikita”

*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments/reviews welcome and very much encouraged (especially since this is so different to my usual work!!)
> 
> Also, in case it wasn't obvious, or in case people want confirmation, the two songs whose lyrics were put in this chapter were Bennie and The Jets, and Nikita.


End file.
